Calbee Hot and Spicy Potato Chips

Is that a yellow potato that looks like Mr. Peanut?

The Attraction:
Who can resist a smoky red package that says hot and spicy? It also says "crispy crunch" with no real description of flavor...sign me up!

The Review
What flavor is hot and spicy? Isn't that redundant? Anyway, I was anxious to try these as I've seen this item in so many Asian grocery stores that I suppose it must be good...at least I hoped so.

I tore open the bag and there was a aroma of American BBQ flavored chips! Ahh...so that's what "hot and spicy" means, but how does it taste? I pull a chip out and it's clear that these guys are fried to a nice crisp. I take a bite in and sure enough, there is a nice crunch. Flavor-wise, it's reminiscent of Lay's BBQ-Flavored chips, but not as sweet and a step spicier. Oh, I think we'll get along just fine.

I'm crispy...

The Sweet:

The flavor hits the spot with it's "hot and spicy" = American BBQ flavor. It delivers it's spicy, yet slightly sweet flavor via a nice crispy chip without an oily residue. 

...and crunchy!

The Bitter:
It was hard to determine what flavor this was from the package. I understand that this item was predominately marketed to the Japanese masses and for all I know, it could perfectly describe the flavor on the inside in Japanese on the package, but for us non-Japanese readers, it's not nearly as clear. Perhaps "sweet and spicy" might be more accurate.

Conclusion:
Calbee delivers an item in many ways doesn't feel like a new product; it comes across more like an improvement on an existing item. It takes an American favorite, the BBQ-flavored chip, and does a better job of it by making it crispier, adding a touch more heat and dialing back the sweetness a tad. I know everyone's preferences vary, but for me, the final result is chip that sets a new standard of what potato chips should taste like.

Video of the Week
My pal Grace was "kind" enough to get me a package of these Korean noodles. How nice, I thought. Then I hopped online and found all these people in pain from eating these noodles. The question is with all this evidence, should I eat it? I'm even more curious than ever...

Here are all the videos of people eating these noodles I found on Youtube.

I think these noodles turned this girl
into a woman by the end of the video.